Of Love and First Dates
by Percyjacksonfan3
Summary: Travis is having trouble asking Katie to go to the fireworks with him... will he ever work up the courage? Read to find out! Written for the Free Week of PJO Ship Weeks 2014. Tratie!


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Rick owns all rights!**

oooOOOooo

"Holy Hermes Travis, just _ask_ her."

Travis Stoll looked over at his younger brother and sighed in exasperation, obviously distressed about something. "This is why nobody ever comes to you for advice Connor. You don't know anything about girls."

Connor raised his eyebrow. "Bro, you're getting this worked up over a girl? Over _Katie Gardner_?"

Travis turned his head to hiss at his brother, "dude, shut up! She'll hear you!"

"She's at the Demeter table!" Connor rebutted, gesturing to where all of the Demeter kids sat at their table in the mess hall. "Plus it's loud. Everybody's talking about Silena and Beckendorf going to the fireworks together. No one's listening to us."

Travis's eyes moved to glance at Katie- who was indeed listening to something her half-sister Miranda was saying, not paying any attention at all to the Stoll brothers- and then his eyes moved to Beckendorf who was waving back to Silena; his new girlfriend.

"Lucky bastard," Travis muttered. "Why can't Katie be as easy to ask to the fireworks as Silena?"

Connor rolled his eyes. "She probably is," he replied, buttering a piece of toast, not even bothering to pay full attention to Travis anymore. "You're just stressing over it because you lo-"

"I don't," Travis said.

Connor snorted. "Dude you've been pranking Demeter cabin more and more ever since she got to camp. You can't stop talking about her- even if you are just complaining- and you guys have fights to rival Percy and Annabeth's. Apparently that means you're in love."

"Says you?" Travis asked skeptically.

"Think about it. Percy and Annabeth fight constantly about things as stupid as whatever you and Katie fight about. So do you. Apparently that's demigod language for 'unresolved sexual tension'."

"Connor!" Travis exclaimed, choking on a bite of pancakes and flushing deeply.

His younger brother looked at him. "What?"

"I- Katie and I don't have _sexual tension_," Travis muttered, casting another look around to make sure nobody was listening. "We hate each other. That's why we fight."

"Riiighhhttt," Connor dragged out. "That's why you want to ask her to the fireworks so bad."

Travis stared at his brother for a few seconds before frowning. "Shut up."

Connor only laughed as Travis looked, yet again, to where the head of the Demeter cabin was sitting at the other table.

Katie, as if finally feeling his eyes on her, turned her head suddenly and met his eyes.

For a second they both stared. Travis had realized a year or so back that Katie Gardner had very pretty eyes. They were green and warm and Travis had found himself getting lost in them more than once during yet another fight.

Connor nudged him, causing Travis to break the eye contact and look at his annoying brother once more.

"Oh yeah," he said, nodding sagely beside his brother but obviously holding back another laugh which made Travis wanted to punch him. "You guys hate each other alright."

Travis turned back to his pancakes, mumbling all the while.

oooOOOooo

_Stupid Connor_, Travis thinks as he walks to where Katie's tending the strawberries in the strawberry fields. _Stupid, stupid Connor. And stupid me for listening to him. Why do I _ever_ listen to him? Just turn back, walk away, retreat, retreat!-_

"Travis?"

His head jerked up from where he had been looking at his feet to meet Katie's eyes for the second time that day. She had streaks of dirt on her face, her knees were caked in it from where she had been kneeling and her hands were black.

Travis took her in. The orange camp t-shirt, the jean shorts, flip flops…. He was especially distracted by the jean shorts- or, rather, the legs they weren't covering.

He swallowed, throat dry, and his eyes snapped back to meet hers. As he watched she reached up to wipe away a strand of hair that had escaped her braid with her wrist. His hand twitched at his side, wanting to do it himself.

Thank gods he resisted. That would have been weird. And awkward. Mostly awkward.

"Umm… what are you doing here?" Katie continued after Travis didn't say anything.

"I…" He thought quickly, eyes landing on the strawberries behind her. "Came to pick strawberries?"

It came out more as a question than an answer but Katie didn't seem to catch it.

"Really?" She asked him in surprise. "But you hate strawberries."

Styx, how did she know that? Travis shook his head. "For Connor," he lied. "He loves them."

Hades, Connor hated strawberries even more than Travis did. For the son of the god of liars, Travis wasn't doing so well.

"Oh," Katie said. "Okay."

How did she know that _he_ hated strawberries but not Connor? Travis wondered. That was weird.

"Will you help me?" Travis blurted out before stopping. "I mean… if you're done with everything else… it would make it go faster…."

"Sure," Katie agreed right away before flushing a bit. The heat, Travis told himself as red filled her cheeks. "Umm, it's no trouble. And I don't want you here any longer than you have to be, Stoll. You'll probably end up killing all of the strawberries somehow."

She was teasing he realized, causing the hurt he felt to go away. Gods, Katie needed to work on her skills at joking. For a second Travis had thought she was serious.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "How would I do that? The satyrs would kill me. Plus I expect you'd make a plant strangle me in my sleep."

Katie shrugged, smiling a bit. She had a nice smile. "You could find a way I'm sure."

"Probably," he agreed, smiling at her.

They stood like that, just watching each other, smiling, for a few seconds before Travis realized what was happening. Was it just him or were they a lot closer to each other than when they had started speaking?

"Strawberries," he said suddenly, saying the first thing that popped into his head to break the silence- and the moment. His brain was feeling warm. He wasn't thinking straight.

Katie blinked and seemed to take a step back. "Right," she said after a second. "Strawberries. Umm.. Let's start picking I guess."

River Styx, Travis cursed in his head. Way to go Travis, ruin what could possibly be the _only_ good moment you two have ever had.

He dropped down across from her, picking the plant beside the one she was. Of course, he was staring at her more than actually picking but hey. He was a teenage boy, you couldn't blame him for being distracted. Besides, Katie really was beautif-

_Woah, woah, woah there Travis, _he thought to himself. _That's enough of that. Since when have you thought of Katie Gardiner as beautiful?_

He glanced up once more to look at her. She was kneeling in the earth between the rows of strawberry plants and gently picking a couple of strawberries off of each plant. The biggest. The juiciest.

Gods, what was he going to do with so many strawberries? He couldn't just go and dump them somewhere, not when she was going to so much trouble getting the best ones for him. Besides, what if she saw them somehow? She'd be hurt. She'd think he was pranking her again or something.

Who in the camp liked strawberries so much they would accept them from him and not tell Katie? Everyone he thought of would think it was a prank and that eating them would turn whoever it was into a Pegasus or something along those lines.

But Katie was here doing this with him. He was spending time with her and it was nice. He liked it. He enjoyed her company- when had that started?- and he didn't want to stop spending time with her.

Dear Zeus, maybe Connor was right. Maybe Travis did love her-

"How much?" Katie asked him, looking up to see his mouth fall open in surprise.

Oh gods, had he been talking out loud? Did she know? Could she somehow read his mind? Maybe-

-"Uh, what?" He asked dumbly. That's right Travis, play it cool. Act like you don't know what happened, good plan!

"Strawberries," Katie said. "How much should we get for Connor?"

"Oh," Travis breathed out a sigh of relief. "Umm…"

"He can't want too much," Katie said. "I don't think I've ever seen him eat _anything_ healthy, never mind heard he loves strawberries. He must not eat a lot of them."

"It's his secret," Travis blurted out, trying in vain to think of another lie. "His guilty pleasure."

Katie raised an eyebrow at him. "He secretly loves strawberries?"

Smooth, Travis, real smooth.

"Yeah. You know what that's just the perfect amount," Travis gestured to the 15 or so strawberries Katie had picked. "I should probably get these to him before anybody sees, he wouldn't want anyone to know-"

"Travis?" Katie interrupted him, looking concerned. "Are- are you okay?"

"What? Me? Fine," he waved a hand before cupping his hands together to make a bowl. "I'll just take the strawberries and run…"

Forget coming here to ask Katie if she wanted to go to the fireworks. That mission was officially aborted. He was getting out alive while he still could.

"Alright then."

Travis looked at her in surprise. Was he imagining the disappointment in her voice? He must have been because when she looked up at him again she was smiling, albeit it… awkwardly.

She scooped up the strawberries she had picked and placed them in his hands, brushing hers against his as she did. Travis looked up again and met her eyes.

Her hands didn't moved from his, even after he felt the strawberries drop into his palms. Hers were resting gently on top of his and Travis couldn't even pretend and say he didn't like it.

Her skin was dirty but smooth. Soft too, he noted. The contact made his skin tingle.

"Katie," he murmured quietly. Now was a good time to ask right? To just go ahead and say, 'I like you, wanna go to the fireworks together tonight?'

It might be his last chance. Percy's birthday was coming up, Kronos could attack anytime. Travis could be dead before the year was over.

He didn't want to die without asking Katie out on a date first. Even if it was only to the fireworks.

"Yeah?" She breathed out in reply, still not moving away.

"Do-," he cut himself off. No, he couldn't do it. Like he had said this morning, Katie hated him. She would never say yes.

"Never mind," he muttered, casting his eyes down as he moved his hands away and stood up. "Thanks for helping."

"It was no problem," Katie replied, her voice sounding strange. Travis didn't look up to see her face. She would probably see how big of a coward he was. "If Connor ever wants more I'd be glad to pick them with you again." She paused. "Or him too, I guess."

"I'll tell him you said that," Travis muttered. Great. So now Katie was inviting Connor to come pick strawberries with her. Maybe she had a crush on Connor for all Travis knew.

Wouldn't that just be perfect? And going by his luck, not entirely impossible.

"See you Katie," he said before quickly turning around and making his way to the Hermes cabin.

What was wrong with him? He _never_ got nervous around girls. Ever. He never froze up around them. Travis had had his first kiss when he was 12 years old, he was a ladies man. Everybody knew it. He didn't get nervous around girls. It just wasn't him.

It seemed that Katie Gardner could make Travis do anything.

oooOOOooo

"Let me take you down

Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields

Nothing is real

And nothing to get hung about

Strawberry Fields forever!"

Travis rolled over on his bunk and groaned, shoving his face in the pillow. "Go away."

"No way," Percy's voice came from behind him, sounding amused. "We heard about your little adventure to the strawberry fields this morning."

"Connor!" Travis exclaimed, turning to look at his brother angrily. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

"When you made me promise you meant Percy, Beck and Chris too?" Connor's said in surprise. "I never knew that."

Travis sighed. "When I said don't tell anybody, they fall under that category Connor."

"But they're the guys!"

"Forget it," Travis muttered. "You guys don't understand! You all have girlfriends to go to the fireworks with. I don't."

"Umm… I don't have a girlfriend," Percy piped in.

Travis raised an eyebrow at him, not believing it for a second. "Right. All I'm saying is it's harder for me! You guys don't understand the pressure!"

"Dude," Chris said before Percy could cut in with an argument. "I'm dating Clarisse. You have it easy."

"I was only able to ask Silena after I almost died," Beckendorf added.

Connor shrugged. "Claire's my girlfriend. Of course we're going together."

"Hey, what about you Perce?" Chris asked. "Did you ask Annabeth?"

Beckendorf snorted and Percy shot him a glare. "No-"

"Do you really think that after four years Percy would suddenly work up courage to ask Annabeth out? No way, she asked him." Beckendorf cut in. "I saw it."

"Seriously?" Connor exclaimed. "Please tell me she didn't ask you. Tell me it was the other way around."

Percy blushed. "Well-"

"Can we focus back on my problems?" Travis asked dramatically. "We get it, Percy's too scared to ask Annabeth out. Old news. What about me? I still haven't got a date tonight."

"Ask someone then," Percy said, smartly choosing not to bite Travis's bait.

"He won't," Connor interrupted. "The only girl my brother wants to go with is Katie and every time he gets near her he acts like an idiot." The brother turned to look at Travis. "Seriously dude, what am I supposed to do with strawberries? I don't even _like_ them."

"I like strawberries," Chris and Beckendorf said in unison.

Beckendorf frowned a moment later. "Unless it's some sort of prank."

Smart man.

Travis shook his head dejectedly. "I didn't know what else to do! So I picked them with Katie and now Connor and I have strawberries neither of us wants."

Percy shook his head. "So Connor told us the truth. Oh gods, Travis, I thought you were good with girls."

"I am!" Travis said. "Katie's just… different."

"He loves her."

"Connor!"

"Well you do," the younger brother rolled his eyes. "Although he still won't admit it."

"I hate you," Travis said.

"Nah you don't." Connor said.

"I don't love her," Travis said to the rest of them.

He was met with silence.

Chris sighed. "Well I don't know what to tell you dude. Katie will be asked to the fireworks fast when people see you're not going to take her."

"Why would they think I would take her?"

Percy rolled his eyes. "The whole camp knows you guys like each other. It's not exactly easy to miss. Hades knows how you two haven't realized it."

Travis stared at Percy in surprise, eyebrows raised. The irony of that statement…. He opened his mouth to reply but caught sight of Beckendorf shaking his head. 'Don't bother,' the son of Hephaestus mouthed from behind the son of Poseidon.

Travis understood and bit back a grin before he sighed again. "This is hopeless."

"Seriously," Connor agreed. "You're acting worse than Beckendorf with Silena. And that lasted _years_."

"Hey," the demigod in question frowned. "Like you were any better. 'Oh I like Claire, oh Claire likes somebody else, oh Claire's ignoring me, oh no, how do I ask Claire out-'"

The boys laughed as Connor rolled his own eyes. "Whatever."

"Seriously though, Travis," Percy said after they had all calmed down. "Just ask her. If you don't somebody else will."

Travis just nodded.

oooOOOooo

"Doyouwanttogotothefireworkswithme?"

Katie looked up at him from where she was sitting on the dock watching some new younger campers canoe. "What?"

Travis frowned and sat beside her. "I said-"

"No- I understand." Katie assured him, cheeks getting a little darker red. "I was just surprised."

"Oh."

They were quiet and it was extremely awkward. Travis wasn't sure if her answer was a yes or a no and he was about to get up and just say forget it when she spoke again.

"You want to go to the fireworks with me?"

He looked over at her; and for the first time in his life he saw Katie look uncertain. Shy almost. It was cute.

"Yes," Travis didn't look away from her when he answered. "I do."

Katie met his eyes, not even bothering to watch the campers who were canoeing. Percy was out there, Travis had seen him. The campers would be safe.

"But you hate me," she said. "We- we hate each other. That's our _thing_. Everyone knows it."

Travis shrugged. "I figure we can hate each other and go to the fireworks together anyway," he said.

"No," she objected. "You don't go to the fireworks with somebody you hate. You go with someone you like. Maybe even love. If we go to the fireworks it will be like admitting we don't actually hate each other."

"Well we don't." He pointed out. "At least… I don't hate you."

He looked at her uncertainly and she moved her gaze out to look over the water once more.

"You're asking me to the biggest dating event of the summer for demigods," Katie said. "What does that mean?"

"If you don't want to go-"

"No," Katie interrupted him right away. "I do. I want to go with you. But I need to know if this is a date or not," she finished, turning to pierce him with her gaze.

His mouth suddenly went dry. "Would you still go if it was a date."

She hesitated, eyes flickering across his face unsure. But then she straightened a bit. "Yes."

Travis's breath left him in relief. "Then it's a date." He said, smiling at her.

She grinned back at him. "I suppose if we don't hate each other anymore it makes room for liking each other."

_Or loving_, Travis thought to himself but didn't say out loud.

He grinned. It was only their first date after all.

oooOOOooo

**Written for the free week of PJO Ship Weeks 2014. I wanted some Tratie. **

**Love you all!**

**Percyjacksonfan3**


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